Just a Crush
by Lavender Feline
Summary: yuri, yaoi, fluff Hikari has a crush on her older brother's best friend, but the definition of who that is causes some confusion...


AN: I wanted to write a yuri fic for once, and Sora x Hikari just sounded so absolutely fluffy that I couldn't resist. This fic also contains some m/m couples, too, but is entirely PG rated (for language) and is total fluff, so no worries about angst or anything. Hope everyone enjoys. XP

**Just a Crush **

"Who do they think they're kidding?"

Hikari jumped and spun around. "Sora-san!"

Sora smiled, but it wasn't genuine. "Didn't mean to startle you."

"What are you doing here?" Hikari asked, taking a step back quickly, shoving her hands into her pockets. She wished she hadn't lost her gloves last winter, and made a mental note to buy another pair.

Sora folded her arms and shrugged, sighing. Her breath left a little cloud in the air that faded slowly. "I came to see Taichi, but I see he's busy."

Hikari nodded slowly. "We were going to have a snowball fight, but..."

"They got distracted." Sora chuckled. "It's cute, I guess."

"Mmm." Hikari followed Sora's gaze to where her older brother and a certain red haired boy were rolling around in some sort of unchoreographed wrestling match. Taichi appeared to be winning, and Daisuke was getting a face full of snow. Their own hats and gloves had quickly been discarded as being in the way, and at this point they were probably soaked to the bone. "I hope we have some hot chocolate left. They'll demand it after they're done freezing themselves."

"So have they announced it yet?"

Hikari felt Sora's gaze on her, but she didn't turn to meet it. She bit her lower lip, tasting the strawberry lip balm she'd put on earlier. "Not yet. I don't know if they're aware of it themselves. Or at least... my brother..."

"Taichi isn't good at this sort of thing, no. But after that little speech he gave last week..." Sora's voice faded away as a cold wind suddenly picked up, blowing through the field.

Hikari reached up, pulling her wool hat down tighter over her ears. She watched as her brother stood, offering a hand to Daisuke. The younger boy pretended to take it, then pulled her brother back down, rolling on top of him and rubbing a handful of snow in his face. Normally she would have giggled at this sight, but Sora was here. She couldn't laugh at this in front of Sora.

"It's okay."

Hikari finally turned and met Sora's gaze again. The older girl grinned sweetly, and Hikari felt her heartbeat speed up just a bit.

"It was a childhood crush after all. Those never come true," Sora said, sounding just a bit depressed.

Hikari winced, remembering how she'd looked when the boys had made their announcement. She'd thought it was strange when Yamato and Taichi treated the rest of their friends to pastries and tea at the cafe that had just opened up down the street. But it was even stranger when they weren't laughing and joking. Everyone had been tense. Then Taichi finally slammed his fist down on the table and said it.

"We're gay."

Everyone had stopped what they were doing, and Hikari had momentarily wished she'd had her camera with her. A picture of everyone's expressions of shock frozen in mid-air, Daisuke had even missed his mouth entirely and stabbed his own cheek with his fork. Their laughter broke the tension.

"Congratulations!" Miyako had said, smiling. "Too bad, though, everyone will be so upset that the cutest boys in high school are dating!"

Yamato was unable to stop them from clinking glasses and yelling "Kampai!" before he could explain. "No! No, no! We're not dating!"

This had caused another moment of frozen confusion.

"We're not dating, we're just... both gay." Yamato looked uncomfortable saying it.

"That's right, just 'cause I like guys doesn't mean I like _him_. I mean, you gotta have _standards_," Taichi said, nudging Yamato with his elbow.

At this point a loud argument had broken out, and the rest of the chosen children were laughing and talking as if nothing had happened. Hikari had been stunned, of course. She knew her brother preferred boys, after all, she lived with him and wasn't completely blind. But she hadn't expected him to announce it like this. And she definitely hadn't suspected Yamato.

She had just snapped out of it and was about to congratulate them (or at least try to get them to stop arguing, this was a nice place after all) when she caught Sora's eye.

She didn't think she'd ever seen the other girl so heartbroken.

"Hikari-chan?"

Hikari jumped again, snapping out of it. "Yes? Sorry!" She blushed. "I was just-"

"Out of it." Sora smiled for real this time. "It's okay. I think your brother is going to be a while. How about some of that hot chocolate?"

Nodding quickly, Hikari smiled back, clenching her hands in her pockets. "Sure! Do you like it with marshmallows?"

Sora was stirring her hot chocolate with a spoon, her chin in her hand, peering across the table at Hikari thoughtfully.

Hikari, in turn, shifted uncomfortably. The older girl's dark eyes were fixed on her, and every time she glanced up from her own cup to meet that intense gaze she felt her cheeks heat in a faint blush. "Ah... Sora-san?" she finally asked, breaking the strange silence.

"Hm?" Sora sat up quickly, as if suddenly aware of how she'd been sitting (quite unladylike).

"It isn't my place, but... are you okay?" Hikari looked up just in time to catch a strange look flash over the older girl's face. "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"No, no." Sora waved her hand dismissively and lifted her mug, downing the rest of her hot chocolate decisively. She moved to wipe her mouth on the back of her hand, then paused and lifted her napkin, dabbing herself off daintily.

Hikari stiffled a giggle. Sora blushed in response, and Hikari quickly quieted. She knew the older girl was sensitive about appearing ladylike, she just wasn't sure why. 'She's wonderful the way she is. Why does she need to...' Hikari felt another blush growing on her cheeks and she shook her head quickly, cutting off the thought.

"What I mean is... I'm fine." Sora grinned and nodded. "It was just surprising. Taichi... he was my first crush, you know?" Sora tiled her head and stared off into space, letting out a small sigh. "It's strange to think that he's that way, too."

"As well as Yamato-san?" Hikari asked, wondering for the millionth time if the older girl was upset over him as well.

"Yamato-kun?" Sora frowned slightly, looking confused. "Oh! Yes, as well as him." She tucked a bit of hair behind her ear and nodded quickly, looking flustered. "Although I already knew about him."

"Did you? I was surprised," Hikari said, lifting her mug to drink more before remembering it was empty.

"You didn't date him," Sora said in an amused tone of voice, arching an eyebrow. "Believe me, it was obvious."

"Oh?" Hikari set her mug back down and stared in confusion for a long moment at Sora's expression before her eyes widened and she felt that blush finally hit her completely. "Oh!"

Sora laughed, nodding. "Yes, you see what I mean. Anyway, I'm not upset, really... not anymore. They both seem happy, Taichi especially. Although I wonder if Yamato-kun has any crushes... he's definitely pretty enough to attract men." She giggled again.

Hikari felt the blush fade only slightly and she looked down at her lap, nodding. "So... you're doing okay?" She bit the inside of her cheek, wondering if her concern was too obvious.

"Oh, I'm moving on." Sora leaned across the table and lifted Hikari's chin with a finger, giving her a mischievous look. "And what about you, hm?"

The blush wasn't going anywhere, Hikari realized unhappily. "About me?" She forced a nervous smile, feeling her heartbeat quicken. Sora's hands were so soft.

"Mmhmm." Sora sat back, crossed her legs (like a boy), and folded her arms, looking impatient. "I've confided in you, haven't I? It's only fair that you tell me yours."

"My... my what?" Hikari looked away, reading the titles of the books on the shelves across the room to distract herself.

"Who do you _like_?" Sora asked, beginning to look annoyed.

'Oh, no, please don't get angry.' Hikari took a deep breath and shut her eyes tightly. "I... I'm afraid I can't say. They might get upset."

"That's bull." Sora's eyes widened the minute she'd said it and laughed nervously, covering her mouth. "Sorry. Too... too much time around your brother." She smiled sheepishly. "But Hikari-chan, only a fool would be upset that you liked them."

'I wonder if she knows what she's saying. But she never says things she doesn't mean. So... at least she won't be angry. Right?' Hikari opened her eyes and swallowed hard, wiping the palms of her hands on her pants to get the sudden appearance of cold sweat off. "You know... how they say you always have a crush on your older brother's best friend?" Hikari thought her voice must be cracking, the thumping of her heart _must_ be audible, and she probably looked like a scared rabbit. 'Well, I do feel like one.'

Sora's lips parted and she looked startled. "Oh, oh, Hikari-chan... I... I don't know what to say."

Hikari felt a surge of panic flow through her. 'She's going to reject me. I knew she would, so why am I so shocked! I should just play it off. Laugh. Why aren't I laughing!'

Ducking her head a bit and looking over at Hikari with a look of immense guilt, Sora said, "If I'd known you liked Yamato-kun I wouldn't have said all those things!"

And suddenly the panic was gone. Hikari felt her now dry mouth open in shock. The strange trembling sensation was gone, replaced by a strange urge to laugh. "Yamato-san!" Hikari said incredulously.

"Yes! I'm so sorry!" Sora ran a hand through her hair. "I didn't mean... well, he's a very nice boy! If I'd realized how you felt I never would have brought up my dating him and..." Her eyes suddenly widened. "Oh, I must have sounded like... I swear I was only referring to kisses, Hikari-chan! I didn't mean to imply... I promise we never _did_ anything. I mean to say-"

Hikari felt herself smile in relief. 'She never... they never...'

But the look of relief on Hikari's face only seemed to make Sora feel worse. "Ohhhh, I really should watch what I say. I've got such a big mouth."

"No, no!" Hikari shook her head, grinning. "It's fine! Really!"

Sora opened her mouth to say something in return, still with the look of guilt, when the front door swung open and they were assaulted with cold air from outside and the noise of two freezing boys.

"Oh, man, it's COLD out there!" Taichi exclaimed, kicking off his boots and closing the door behind them, rubbing his hands together.

Daisuke laughed and grabbed the gloves that were hanging out from Taichi's pocket and waved them in his face. "I thought you didn't mind the cold! Didn't you say you didn't need these?"

Taichi scowled at him and snatched the gloves back. "Well, everyone's got their limit."

While Taichi didn't bother to brush himself off, and instead just left his wet coat hanging on the hook by the door, Daisuke shook himself off like a dog, getting snow all over the floor.

"Oniichan," Hikari moaned unhappily. "You're both making a mess!"

"Yeah, yeah, it's just snow, it'll melt." Taichi crossed the room, still shivering, to get a few mugs from the cupboard. "Time for some hot chocolate. Want some, Dai?"

Daisuke nodded and followed the older boy into the kitchen, completely ignoring the girls.

"Very nice, Taichi. Not going to even say hello to me?" Sora frowned at him from the table.

"Oh, yeah! Hey, Sora! What's up?"

While this exchange was going on, Hikari smiled just a bit. She remembered a time when Daisuke would have apologized furiously for anything and everything that had to do with her, and when Taichi would have _never_ called Daisuke 'Dai'. Things were changing for them. She was glad. She was also extremely jealous, and hated herself for it. After all, they had just as much of a right as anyone to be happy. Just because she wished _she_ had someone to play in the snow with...

"What about you, Hikari-chan?"

Hikari blinked rapidly, looking over to where Sora's voice had come from. Somehow she'd spaced out yet again, and Sora and the boys were already sitting on the couch. "Me?"

Taichi smirked. "She's always like this in the winter. Too gloomy out, brings her out of focus."

Hikari would have glared at him, but his tone was affectionate. And anyway, it was true.

"We're gonna play some games! You wanna?" Daisuke asked, holding up the controller in his hand. He sat in the middle of the couch between Sora and Taichi, although considerably closer to Taichi.

"Mmm," Hikari said, shaking her head quickly. "I really need to catch up on my homework. She stood and flashed one last smile at Sora.

Hikari left to go to her room. Homework? Yes, she had lots of homework. It may have been winter break, but there were always projects to work on. She sat heavily at her desk and pulled out the notebook she was supposed to be writing in. What was this paper about? She didn't even remember. Her eyes skimmed over the notes on the page before, but she didn't read a word of it. Her mind was elsewhere.

"Hikari-chan?" Sora's voice came from outside her door.

Hikari jumped up, quickly shoving her journal back underneath her pillow, feeling guilty for writing about her day and a certain girl, rather than her paper. "Yes?" She crossed the room and opened the door.

Sora was already wearing her coat. "I'm sorry, I really have to go." She was whispering.

Hikari bit back a her sadness and nodded. "I see. Oniichan and Daisuke-kun...?"

"Oh, just come and see," Sora whispered again, grinning.

The girls tiptoed into the living room and Sora pointed to the couch. Peering over from the back of it, Hikari had to bite her lip to keep from giggling. Taichi was sitting up and leaning against the arm of the couch. In his lap was Daisuke's head, and his arm was draped around the younger boy. They were both deep asleep, and Daisuke still held a controller in one hand.

Sora waved and quietly slipped her boots on. Hikari took one last look at her brother before following Sora and doing the same. "Let me walk you home," she whispered, careful not to wake the boys. "Maybe if no one's here when they wake up, they'll-"

Nodding quickly, Sora grinned mischievously. Once they were both bundled up in their warm winter gear, the girls slipped out of the apartment as quietly as they could and made their way down onto the busy city streets.

Despite the snow and the cold wind that had become constant since they'd gone inside hours before, the streets were still bustling. Hikari shoved her hands deeper into her pockets, shivering, wondering why anyone would willingly come out into this sort of weather.

"I love the snow," Sora said, burrowing her face a bit deeper into the fluffy scarf she had on. "Don't you?"

"I'm... more fond of summer," Hikari mumbled back, realizing that _she_ had come willingly into the weather, so she'd answered her own question. And she'd thought only boys did stupid things to get the attentions of people they liked.

Sora cocked her head at Hikari and smiled as they walked. "I should have known that. You're related to Taichi after all. You both thrive on sunshine."

Hikari realized she was smiling rather stupidly and she forced herself to look away. 'Does that mean she pays attention to me? What a stupid thing to get excited over.'

"But you know what makes the cold a lot nicer?" Sora asked, her voice taking a dangerous tone to it.

Hikari glanced back at her warily. This was the same sort of voice she remembered the older girl using when she and Taichi ended up getting stuck in a tree after a failed experiment with balloons and their poor cat.

"Having someone warm to cuddle up with."

Hikari felt all the blood in her body rush to her face and she shook her head quickly. "I don't think that would help!" But she realized her voice was far too excited sounding to be believable. "I'm... I'm fine! I'll just wait for summer to be warm!"

Sora chuckled and shook her head. "You're awfully excitable." She paused and took on a more serious expression. "But I think you ought to tell him."

"Him?" Hikari asked, feeling dizzy from all the blushing.

"Yamato-kun. If you tell him I think you'll feel better. And he deserves to know, right?"

"No, no! I can't!" Hikari reached out and grabbed Sora's sleeve, trying to get her attention. "I couldn't!"

Sora glanced at Hikari's cold gloveless hands and then frowned. "Don't you believe me?" she finally asked.

Hikari felt her heart sink and was unable to force any words out as Sora tugged her along. her hands still attatched to the older girl's arm, and turned down the street that led to Yamato's apartment.

Yamato frowned sharply when he opened the door, only to find two girls there, waiting to be asked in. "Yes?"

"Oniichan? Who's there?" Takeru's voice called from the kitchen.

"It's just Sora and Hikari-chan," Yamato called back, sounding less annoyed.

"We- we can go!" Hikari said, trying to pull Sora back one last time.

"We aren't interrupting anything, are we?" Sora asked, stepping in and pulling off her coat and boots.

Still frowning slightly, Yamato shrugged. "We're baking a cake for mom's birthday. Takeru wanted me to teach him."

As if on cue, the younger blond boy came in from the kitchen wearing Yamato's pink apron with matching pink icing on his cheek. "Hi!"

Hikari relaxed almost instantly. Takeru's presence had always relaxed her, if no other reason than he seemed so completely unable to stress out.

"Yamato-kun, Hikari-chan needs to talk to you," Sora said solemnly, walking to the kitchen and pulling Takeru in with her. "We'll leave you two alone."

"What's up, Hikari-chan?" Yamato asked, reaching up and running a hand through his hair. "Did Taichi do something stupid again?"

"N-no!" Hikari shook her head quickly, forcing a smile to her lips. "I'm sorry, I don't need anything! This was just a mistake."

Yamato frowned for a moment, then grinned and shrugged. "Sora being too headstrong again? I understand completely."

Hikari was just bending over to get her boots, laughing nervously at Yamato's comment, when Sora's voice could be heard from the kitchen. "HEY! I heard that!" Jumping in surprise, Hikari slipped in the puddle that had been made by the wet snow boots, and slipped, yelping.

Not pausing to think, Yamato stepped forward and caught her with the speed and skill only an overprotective older brother knows, and pulled her up quickly. "Are you okay?"

Hikari's eyes went wide, her heart beating quickly from her near accident. It didn't help that Yamato was holding her carefully just above the ground, his face inches from her own. "I-"

"Yamato, I need help and I need-" Taichi said, swinging the front door open abruptly. He looked frazzled, but that faded into a cold rage quickly at the sight before him, his best friend with his arms around his little sister.

"Damn it," Yamato muttered, glancing at Taichi from around Hikari. "Don't you EVER knock?"

"What the _fuck_ do you think you're doing?" Taichi asked, his voice lowered to a growl.

"What does it look like?" Yamato asked, lowering Hikari to the ground and shoving his hands into his pockets. "What's wrong with you?"

Hikari wished she'd thought of something to say faster, because by the time her mouth was opened all she could manage was a small squeak before she jumped out of the way of her brother.

Taichi had thrown himself onto Yamato and was proceeding to strangle him. Yamato reacted quickly, used to their fights from long ago, and quickly kneed Taichi in the gut, trying to throw him off.

Sora and Takeru were quickly at Hikari's side, having run in at the sound of Yamato's body hitting the ground.

"Oniichan?" Takeru asked, worried. "Oniichan, what's going on?"

"Men," Sora mumbled, looking annoyed. "What are they fighting about now?"

"I..." Hikari sighed heavily, folding her arms self-consciously. "I'm afraid Oniichan thinks Yamato-san and I are..."

"Oh, Taichi, is that it?" Sora sighed loudly. "Stop, okay? She just came to confess how she feels, so back off!"

Hikari wished suddenly that she could shrink down and never be seen again, as all the eyes in the room settled on her.

Taichi took a long look at Hikari, then turned to Yamato, who looked just as confused, and began strangling him again. "You bastard!"

"Agh- Taichi! Stop it!" Yamato shoved his friend off, looking irritated. "What exactly is going on here!"

Takeru hurried to Yamato's side, looking over him quickly for injuries. "Are you okay, Oniisan?"

"Hikari, did that pervert try somethin' on you!" Taichi asked, looking at her again.

"No, Oniisan, nothing like that!" Hikari managed to choke out, feeling embarrassed and unsure as to how to fix the situation.

"Of course not, Yamato-kun is _gay_, remember?" Sora said, glaring at Taichi. "Your little sister was just trying to get her crush off her chest so she could move on!"

Yamato's eyes landed on Hikari again, and this time he looked extremely uncomfortable.

Takeru's gaze followed, a sharp frown in place. He opened his mouth to speak when a ringing sound came from his pocket. He blinked twice, then reached into his pocket to retrieve his cel phone.

"Hello? ...Oh, hi, Daisuke-kun. ...No, no, I'm not home, I'm at Oniisan's. ...Oh, you're nearby? Well, come on over, I suppose. Just-" Takeru sighed. "He hung up."

Yamato moaned unhappily. "I just wanted to bake."

Hikari cast her gaze downward, feeling tears brimming up in the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry."

There was a long silence in the room as Hikari sniffled, trying to blink back her tears. No one was sure what to say. Finally, Sora stepped forward and rested a hand on Hikari's shoulder. "You have nothing to apologize for, Hikari-chan," she said gently.

This only sent another sob through Hikari's chest. 'I feel so stupid! If I'd only said it in the first place... but now how can I! What can I do! Everyone is angry and...'

"Takeru! I-" Daisuke yelled, stepping through the still open door. He took one long look around the room, then frowned, closing the door behind himself (being slightly more civilized than Taichi) and folded his arms. "What's goin' on?"

"Hikari-chan came to confess her love to Oniisan and Taichi-san tried to beat Oniisan up!" Takeru spat out quickly, looking confused himself.

Daisuke wrinkled his nose, taking a long look at Hikari. "But Hikari-chan doesn't like Yamato-san! Right?"

"She said she liked Taichi's best friend!" Sora said. "Of course she likes Yamato-kun."

Daisuke frowned. "But couldn't that mean you, too?"

There was another long silence in the room and Hikari could hear each of her own heartbeats so loudly that she thought she was about to have a heart attack. "I... I have to go!"

Slipping her feet into her boots faster than she thought was possible and throwing her coat on, Hikari shoved past Daisuke and ran as quickly as she could out of the apartment. Thinking somewhat distantly that she probably shouldn't be going so quickly down the stairs in wet boots, she finally found herself at the bottom and raced out of the building and down the street. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid! Now everyone's fought and they're all mad at me and Sora-san...' Hikari finally stopped at a corner, leaning on a streetlight, and began to sob. 'Sora-san must think I'm so stupid.'

Her thoughts raced back to the moment she realized she liked the older girl. Sora had always been close to Taichi, so when Hikari was too sick to go to school or spend time with other children her age, Sora was her only real female friend. The older girl always looked after her and played with her when she visited her brother, never making her feel weak or stupid, and Hikari had begun to look up to her from an early age.

She may have been only six years old, but one day at the park when Taichi had been busy showing off his new soccer techniques, Sora had sat on a swing and pulled Hikari into her lap.

She was pretty sure Sora had been talking, saying something to her older brother as they swung. She was also pretty sure that the older girl had just done it as if she were her sister, but that didn't matter. That was the first time she'd been that close to another girl, besides her own family, and she realized at that very moment how right it felt. 'I'm going to marry Sora-san,' she'd thought.

Crouching next to the pole, Hikari felt the cold wind burn her wet face. She reached up and tried to rub the tears away, but her hands were too cold and frozen to help. 'Like she said, it was just a childhood crush. Those don't come true. I knew that. I knew that! Why am I still crying?'

"You really shouldn't go out without gloves," a kind sounding voice said, coming from behind her.

Hikari froze, shutting her eyes tightly. 'Go away, just go away and leave me alone!'

Sora knelt next to Hikari and pulled her own gloves off, then reached over and brushed Hikari's hair out of her face. "You shouldn't be crying. You'll freeze your face." She smiled gently and wiped the tears from Hikari's cheeks.

Hikari looked up sharply, wanting to say something, anything, to prove that she was wrong. 'I don't like you! It's stupid, I don't like anyone!' But the gentle look in Sora's eyes was enough, as always, to make her melt. She felt herself begin to tremble.

"Here." Sora took Hikari's hands and carefully put her gloves on her. "I can buy another pair, you need them more than me."

Looking down slowly, Hikari saw her hands in Sora's gloves. They were soft and woolen, and blue with white stars knitted into them. They were still warm from the older girl's body heat.

"You won't believe why your stupid brother and Daisuke-kun both showed up at Yamato's," Sora said, chuckling. "Taichi wanted Yamato-kun's advice on Daisuke-kun, and Daisuke-kun wanted Takeru-kun's advice on Taichi. Although," Sora grinned. "Daisuke made it clear that he wouldn't have come to Takeru for advice if Ken hadn't been at cram school."

Hikari felt a small grin grace her lips. "What happened then?"

Sora smiled mischievously. "Well, Yamato-kun told them they were both stupid, and to go ahead and go on a date and make out or something so that he and Takeru-kun could finish their cake, and to call before coming over next time."

"I'll bet they didn't like that," Hikari said, grinning despite herself.

"Mmm... but they left holding hands, and Daisuke-kun was about as red as a tomato, so I think they'll be okay." Sora nodded wisely.

Hikari nodded back, feeling her throat close up again. 'She's so kind, even after all this.'

"He also... Yamato-kun that is... he also said that I'd better go take you on a date as well, because I was also interrupting his baking."

Hikari looked up sharply, feeling herself blush and hoped that she at least wasn't as red as Daisuke had been described. "I know you don't feel that way! It's okay! I-"

"You don't know how I feel," Sora said seriously, standing and pulling Hikari up with her.

Unsure what to say to that, Hikari just stared numbly at the older girl.

"If you're worried that I'm not interested in girls," Sora said, looking just a bit uncomfortable. "That's not true. I was just fairly certain that girls weren't interested in me. Besides, my mother would throw a fit. If no one liked me anyway, it wasn't worth all that."

Hikari nodded slowly, trying to look as if she understood, when in fact she didn't at all. All she knew was that she had a strange warm feeling inside.

"But if someone does like me... especially if it's someone pretty and cute..." Sora rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I might consider taking them on a date... or ten." She smiled, offering Hikari her hand. "Hot chocolate sound good to you?"

Hikari felt her mouth go dry and she nodded quickly. "Y-yes!" She frowned, offering Sora her hand, and felt her stomach flipflop. "But... until you find someone pretty and cute... would you... date me?" She felt her ears burn and she knew absolutely that she was 'as red as a tomato' now.

Sora smiled widely, squeezing Hikari's hand gently through the glove and laughed softly. "You _are_ pretty and cute, Hikari-chan. And I'd be proud to date you... if you can deal with dating an incorrigible tomboy. I'm afraid I'm not very good at being 'pretty' myself."

Hikari shook her head, feeling herself smile so widely it hurt. "But you are! You're... beautiful!"

This time, it was Sora's turn to blush.


End file.
